Monday, November 30, 2009

Like all towns, Bellingham has its dark side. Being in the corner of the country, with mountains on one side and water on the other, at the edge of Canada, Bellingham is the perfect location for writers, exlporers, artists... and serial killers.

The Waterfront Tavern on Holly Street has the unfortunate history of being the favorite drinking place of at least four killers. The first, Ted Bundy, killed at least twenty women. Angelo Buono, Jr. was later convicted in the Hillside Strangler case in Los Angeles. James A. Kinney murdered a woman found off Mount Baker Highway. And our most recent one: John Muhammad, the DC sniper, who was just executed on November 10. He killed 10 people.

The Waterfront Tavern, perched on the edge of the bay overlooking the now-defunct Georgia Pacific factory, has long attracted all types for its cheap beer at the earliest hour in town-- 8 o'clock in the morning. Now, with plans for the paper mill's demolition and removal in the works, and a prettier, tourist-friendly waterfront on the way, the Waterfront Tavern may be able to upgrade its clientele, too.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

According to the Northwest Schooner Society, the 136 foot Schooner Zodiac is the largest working schooner on the west coast. It is currently in use as a charter ship operated by Schooner Zodiac sailing out of Fairhaven.

Click HERE for more of this ship's history from the Northwest Schooner Society

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Fairhaven Fish and Chips currently occupies this iconic double decker bus in the historic Fairhaven District of Bellingham. Incorporated in the late 1800's, Fairhaven joined with Whatcom, Bellingham and Sehome near the turn of the century to form modern Bellingham. A quaint collection of Victorian homes and brick building, Fairhaven has become one of Bellingham's main tourist destinations.

Click HERE for a brief history of Fairhaven provided by Western Washington University.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I admit it: I went to the new Twilight movie on opening night at midnight. Now, another confession which will earn me the ire of Twihards everywhere: I'm not even a fan. I got halfway through the book series before I finally decided it wasn't going to get any better, and I only watched the first movie because my sister assured me it was hilariously bad. So I don't really have a good answer for why I was at the second one, other than it's kind of fun to be the snarky person making wiseass cracks throughout the movie. I'm happy to say I wasn't bludgeoned to death by a mob of fourteen-year-olds wielding lip gloss, angry at my disparagement of their dear Edward.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Fishermen (and one fisherwoman) line Whatcom Creek right before its outlet into Bellingham Bay. All are hoping for a bite from a Coho Salmon, and all will probably get one-- they are abundant here this time of year.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Bellingham's new addition to the Whatcom Museum held a grand opening ceremony yesterday. Designed by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, the new museum's stand-out feature is a translucent wall called the "Lightcatcher".

Click here for the architect's Lightcatcher page and more information.

Friday, November 13, 2009

No children are outsideto witness the rainbow.Instead they're inside,faces lit with TV's glow.No young eyes open wide,Legs don't race to find the end.Discouraged, the rainbow fades.I guess I don't exist, then.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today, a bald eagle in honor of our veterans. Our national bird, the bald eagle is majestic and powerful, loving and faithful.

A bald eagle carries a stick to the big Douglas Fir, where he or she is building an aerie high in the branches for their offspring. It's hard to say whether this is Mommy or Daddy, as both sexes share responsibilities for nest building, egg-sitting, and even caring for the young.

Both of the Washington State eagle-watching cameras are out of commission right now, but if you click here, you can watch an eagles nest live in Oregon.

This photo was actually not taken in Bellingham, it was taken on Vashon Island, where I spent the weekend at Betty Macdonald's Farm.

Monday, November 9, 2009

It's unusual, but we have yet to have a killing frost here in Bellingham. There are still roses in the flower beds and lettuce in the gardens, and here it is nearly mid-November! Instead of frost, we've been getting lots of rain, warmish weather, and strong winds.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The sun rose this morning on a sad scene-- firefighters unable to quench the fire in time to save our historic Whatcom School from the flames that broke out in the early hours. Whatcom School, built in 1903, was undergoing renovations in between school hours. The unofficial theory so far is that the fire was caused by a welding gun, as there were welders working on the roof as late as 10:30PM.

The loss of Whatcom School is a tragic one for our community, as it was the oldest school in our district. It's of particular sadness to me, too. My girls would have been fifth generation students there. The school went through transformations through the years, and I had family attending school there through them all-- college (my great-grandmother), high school (my grandmother), junior high (my mother) and middle school (my sister and I).

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Two long lines of people extend out the doors of St. Luke's Community Health Education Center, waiting for their turn to be inoculated against the H1N1 virus. The virus, commonly known as the "swine flu", has so far only caused one death in Whatcom County. Still, fear is high and vaccine quantities are minimal, so only a select few were eligible to receive this first batch of the vaccine.

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